Modern data processing systems provide computer systems that manage and store large amounts of data. As an example, many commercial organizations such as Fortune-size companies, banks, mutual fund companies or the like often operate large and complex data processing systems that require access (storage and retrieval) to many hundreds of gigabytes or even terabytes of data. Computer system developers have responded to these types of data storage and information sharing requirements by creating networks specifically designed to efficiently store and allow access to such data. These networks are referred to as storage area networks or SANs. Elements of a typical conventional storage area network include one or more connectivity devices such as high speed data switches or routers that interconnect the various data storage systems to one or more host or server computer systems (servers) that require access (e.g., read and/or write access) to the data in the data storage systems on behalf of client software applications operating on client computer systems.
A developer or manager of a storage area network installs and operates one or more distributed storage area network management software applications within host computers in the network to manage or administer the various managed resources (i.e., devices, host computer systems, data storage systems, switches, database applications, etc.) that operate within the storage area network. A network manager (i.e., a person) responsible for management of the network operates the network management software application(s) to perform management tasks such as performance monitoring, network analysis, storage provisioning and remote configuration and administration of the various components (i.e., software and hardware resources) operating within the network.
A conventional network management software application may have several different software components that execute independently of each other on different computer systems but that collectively interoperate together to perform network management. As an example, conventional designs of storage area network management software applications can include management station programs such as console and server processes, several agent processes that operate on remote host computers, a store process to store data collected by agents and remote alert reporting software to provide alerts to vendor support centers in the event of failures.
A conventional remote alert reporting software application operates to provide alert data to remote computer systems that operate within a help desk or systems support center owned and operated by a vendor of storage area network devices. The support center may be a network operations center or facility located anywhere in the world that is staffed with knowledgeable support personnel at all times of the day or night. Such supports centers provide people and/or software that is capable of diagnosing a problem in the event of an alert in a customer's SAN. As an example, a vendor of large capacity data storage arrays may operate support servers in one or more support centers staffed with vendor experts that are accessible over a network such as the Internet. Storage area network devices sold by a particular vendor are capable of operating that vendor's remote alert reporting software to transport alert information to that vendor's support center in the event of a failure or other problem. In this manner, the remote alert reporting software for a particular device vendor provides around-the-clock reporting of problems related to that vendors SAN devices is they experience a problem such as a fault or failure.